Futurama - PS2 - Preview

E3 2002
– First Look

Matt Groening will always be remembered for his creation of The
Simpsons, but I’ll always remember him for his sci-fi satire Futurama. The
sci-fi setting of the TV show allows for endless creativity and humor in this
third-person action-adventure game.

The developers of Futurama stressed the importance of rewarding
fans of the cult TV hit, and they have not disappointed. Recruiting the same
talent that creates the animated series, Futurama (the game) plays like a lost
episode of the show. Billy West, Katey Segal, and the rest of the voice talent
from the program provide the voices in the game. The animation looks almost
spot on as players navigate the 3-D environments. Recovering Nibblers
throughout the game unlocks movies and cutscenes that contain all the charm and
humor of the television show. In fact, once the game is finished, players will
be rewarded with all the cutscenes played continuously and at 25 minutes long,
it’s actually longer than a typical episode of the show.

Futurama is the only game (okay, I’m assuming, but it’s a
reasonable assumption) that permits gamers to play as a human slacker, a sexy
Cyclops, an alcoholic robot, and a crustacean with a doctor’s degree. While
progressing through levels, players will control the laser gun-toting Frye,
martial arts master Leela, brutish melee attacking Bender, and wacky Dr.
Zoidberg. The 21 levels in the game span the sewers of Earth, the surface of
the Sun, and sandy desert on planets all over the Galaxy.

Other highlights of the game include simple pick up and go
controls, a targeting system for combat, and hilarious loading screens (one
shows a man, a woman, and a tentacled alien with the caption ‘Tri-Curious?’) to
keep fans of the show content.